Poetry of Heaven
by startrekqueen
Summary: Lt. Mariella Ryant is a junior security officer onboard the Enterprise. Despite being on the best ship in the fleet, her life is a living hell due to having to work under her abusive ex, Hendorff. Not to mention her crush on the off-limits, unavailable first officer. . . Can Mariella overcome these obstacles and be the brilliant Starfleet officer she is destined to be?


**Author's Note: Hello, Trekkies! I watched Star Trek Into Darkness this summer, and now I'm obsessed. . . -_-**

**This is my first fanfic, so please be nice! **

Poetry of Heaven

Lieutenant Mariella Ryant sighed as the turbolift doors slid shut. She leaned back against the wall, her violet eyes closing against the tears building in them.

"Computer, halt turbolift," she said softly. She didn't want anyone to see her like this.

_Mariella raced down the corridor, breathing hard, black hair swishing against her cheeks. She'd slept through her PADD alarm, and now she was going to be late to her station. Again._

_"Hendorff's going to kill me," she thought desperately, "he already hates me, and this is the second time I've been late this week."_

_Sure enough, when she arrived at the central security station in the brig, he was waiting._

_"Lieutenant Ryant," Hendorff sneered, "so nice of you to show up this morning."_

_"Um," she swallowed, trying to sound brave, "I was only 3 minutes late, sir. That's—."_

_"Shut up!" he roared, causing her to flinch, "stop making excuses for yourself."_

_"I just,"_

_"Just get to work. And, if you're late again, I'll have to flag you for personnel review." He smiled nastily._

_Mariella wanted to yell back, and call him out on his crap. They'd gotten along just fine until she'd accepted his offer of a date. After a few weeks, she called it off because Hendorff couldn't be happy just being with her. He wanted things she didn't, and when she refused to comply with his wishes, he got hostile, and she broke it off. Since then, he'd treated her worse than any of her colleagues, but it wasn't like she could report him- technically he wasn't doing anything against the rules. Mari felt lost. She had no idea what to do._

"Please state your destination." The computer's tinny voice snapped her out of her reverie.

"Deck 6, please." Mariella sniffled.

The lift dinged and whirred, and before Mariella knew it the doors were opening. She began to step out before colliding into a warm, blue clad chest. Heart pounding, she looked up to see none other than the half Vulcan science officer Spock. His bright blue uniform shirt stood out against his pale skin, the sleeves accentuating the wiry muscle of his arms. His dark hair was perfectly coiffed, but he looked slightly ruffled at the interruption to his fluid movements.

"Lieutenant," he intoned, "it would be most logical for one to look where they are going before they attempt to exit the turbolift."

She blushed, "I apologize, Commander. My mind was elsewhere."

"That is obvious." A hint of a smile played across his lips. There were several moments of awkward silence before Mariella spoke.

"So, do you have any plans tonight? Because if you don't, I was thinking maybe we could hang out?" The words were out before she could stop them. Mari barely resisted the urge to clap her hands over her mouth._How stupid!_ she thought.

Even before she had ended her ill-fated relationship with Lt. Cmdr. Hendorff, Mariella had a little crush on the ships First Officer. She'd first admired him at the academy, where he'd been her teacher. However, after the Narada incident, when she saw his human side, she'd been falling a little bit more in love with him. _But he's with Uhura_ she thought bitterly, _and I'm a fucking mess. Spock would never want someone like me._

"In fact," Spock said suddenly, "I do not have plans to night. If you are also free, I would invite you to join me for a game of chess."

"I'd love to," Mari replied, trying to slow her surely audible heartbeat. "I mean, that would be agreeable Commander."

"Excellent," Spock answered, "I will see you at 1930."

**_STARTREKSTARTREKSTARTREKSTARTREKSTARTREK_**

Mariella pulled on her uniform nervously before ringing Spock's door chime. It'd been so long since she has been on anything resembling a date. When she heard him say, "Enter," she followed that instruction, crossing the threshold nervously. It was extremely hot in the Vulcan's quarters, but she liked it. It reminded her of home.

"Hi," she said with a shy smile. Spock stood when she entered the room. _What a gentlemen, _Mari thought with a internal giggle.

"Good evening, Lieutenant." His reply was short and courteous.

Behind the Vulcan, Mari could see a tri-D chess board set up. She sat down across from Spock.

"Black or white?"

She paused before replying, "White."

"Then you'll start. Shall we begin?"

Without answering, Mari moved a pawn into position. Spock followed suit.

The game was on.

**_STARTREKSTARTREKSTARTREKSTARTREKSTARTREKSTARTREK_**

"Checkmate."

Spock's usually emotionless face looked shocked.

"Impossible," the first officer stated, staring at the board. "How did you do that? Vulcans are impossible to beat at games of logic such as chess."

Mariella laughed for the first time in weeks. "Did I forget to mention I was the champion of the Starfleet Academy chess club?"

"Indeed," was his disgruntled reply.

She stood up, stretched, then moved toward the door. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had this much fun. After thanking Spock for the game, she left to go back to her quarters for the night.

**Spock POV**

As Spock moved to clean up the chess board, he pondered the young woman's game strategy. It was highly illogical, and by all rights she should not have won. Yet, that seemingly random moving of the pieces was highly effective. Despite her illogical behavior, Lt. Ryant seemed to be quite intelligent. After all, few were those who could beat a Vulcan at chess.

"Fascinating," he murmured to no one, " I find her presence to be quite mentally stimulating."

Even Lt. Uhura had not had such an effect on him. Spock frowned quietly, slipping into a meditative trance to contemplate these new thoughts.

**Reviews are very much appreciated! Thank you! -A**


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